I do not watch the show for the sexual humor. There are 508 episodes in all of Dragonball/Z/GT. Only the earlier episodes have a lot of sexual jokes. I don’t remember many sexual jokes in the Z or GT portions of the show. And those two parts of the series take up 355 of the 508 episodes.
I know the show pretty well, so I can predict when a sexual joke will arise. Should I just turn my head and not laugh at the jokes when they happen?
Just “not laughing” is not the answer, from my experience. Nothing changes if nothing
really changes - within.
It’s possible that the Holy Spirit ‘nudged’ you and even with ‘rationalizing’, something is still bugging you.
I found that much of what I used to laugh at involved putting others down in some form that made me ‘feel better’/superior. (Or putting myself down.) From the original example of the TV scene, there is also the
possiblity of defiance of authority of the Master (not saying this applies to you!). Out there somewhere could be ‘Eve defying God’?
I can’t prevent jokes being told but, today, I have the ability to ‘check the humor at the door of my mind’ and choose whether to engage or not.
Not to be superior to others but to protect the ground won through the Work. I’m not on 100% automatic pilot anymore.
I’ve found that the Holy Spirit is not a grueling task master. The difference between condemnation and conviction? Convicton is done with Absolute Love. Infinite patience, and It’s Voice never raises.
My past cannot be changed. What the Holy Spirit does is Heal the past in the present, if I’m willing to do the work. Healing is possible within every reaction - beneath each reaction is a distorted belief that is operating unnoticed. Good and bad reactions - politeness is often manipulation. “Neither blame nor flatter anyone.”
The devil would prefer that I renounce an activity/behavior without investigation (there are plenty of other places to operate the same underlying motives/beliefs, just different scene). However, what the devil does
not want is to be examined, revealed - made powerless over me - for me to be set free from his grasp in some area.
Once I knew to look at humor (never occurred to me before), I avidly sought jokes on the net to dissect causes/conditions of my laugh reaction. Trading laughter bought through the pain of myself and others for Joyful laughter.
The same process was used when I couldn’t identify with sexual perversion/depravity of others. Holy Spirit first had me look at the fantasies I used to have before I became celibate and not ‘indulging in self-pleasure’ (and to confess them). Then I went to an alt.sex newsgroup place and started reading bits of stories that disgusted my mind to even view the category. Trouble is, my body responded even though my mind said “such sin/grossness is not in me.” The ‘reaction’ told the truth of the matter and it was
momentarily devastating. I accepted and Understood. I have the same black hole of depravity as all others. I am not ‘better than’ just because Ego’s true nature operated unseen behind a thicker mask.
“Know Thyself” has been a process, not an event. To the extent that I have come to Understand how and why I followed the devil within, is the extent that I can understand others and have paitience with the confusion ongoing within them. To
know that there really is a Force within calling the tunes - like the Oz behind the curtain - and I just kept dancing even when I didn’t want to. Paul said it best.
Free Will is an illusion until the Holy Spirit was invitied in. Until then, it was just me and the devil. It is through the circumcision by the Holy Spirit - separating me from the Other in each area - that I truly gain a
separate Will of my own and can
truly choose which Force to follow. Temptations, today, build spiritual muscle and confidence that I don’t have to be a pawn in what was the devil’s private and secret game.
My suggestion would be to pray to the Holy Spirit, “If that was You, I desire to know more deeply what you are trying to show me.” Chirst’s sacrifice made it possible for God to send us this Awesome Helper - and most of us die without ever making the
conscious acquaintance.
I found it helpful to increase Awareness and watch closely for ‘synchronicities’. Three suggestion that I followed were (initially for one year): celibancy, no news (TV or print - when something major happened, it naturally came by the grape vine), and changing my usual music (rock) to instrumental. If in a store that was playing familiar tunes, to be aware of the background music, and if I naturally begia following along with the words, to notice the
beliefs being piped in or memories triggered. Others are to stop eating potatoes in any form, no sports, etc.
The goal of the above is to pick something that requires conscious thought to stick to doing. To note the
space between picking up a menu and seeing ‘baked potatoe’ and suddenly craving one from ‘the depths’ - and making the decision to pass.
Recognition of that
space will be invaluable to anyone who desires to work on a quick temper or anger response in general. “Whenever I’m disturbed, no mater the cause, the problem is within me. Always.”
Don’t
believe anything I say. Desire to know for yourself if what I say is True. Right Desire is extremely powerful.
Many philosophers and others (including the Bible) tell us the Answer is Within - but they failed to add particular instructions on how to find It for ourselves. Wonder why that is? It is so simple, but if approaced from the wrong angel, so easy to miss.
But since you are asking, it must be bothering you. Either that, or you want some reassurance that it is okay to watch Dragon Ball. (I imagine it’s okay, but try to balance it out with some quality shows too.) I’m glad to hear it’s not on par with Two and a Half Men though!